Apparatus for trimming heel top lifts



Aug. 2, 1966 R. E. SMITH ETAL APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING H EEL TOP LIFTS 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1965 INVENTORS R0) 5. SMITH (5 TIMES M.CHAF/N Aug. 2, 1966 Filed March 1. 1965 R. E. SMITH ETAL APPARATUS FORTRIMMING HEEL TOP LIFTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ROY 6'. SMITH 6 JAMESM C/l/VF/IV g- 1966 R. E. SMITH ETAL 3,263,251

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING HEEL TOP LIFTS Filed March 1, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet3 Z 7' INVENTORS 190) 6. SMITH a BY JAMES M C/l/lF/IY ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,263,251 APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING HEEL TOP LIFTS Roy E.Smith and James M. Chafin, Atlanta, Ga., assignors to The Auto-SolarCompany, a corporation of Georgia Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,101 6Claims. (Cl. 12-85) This invention relates generally to apparatus of thetype disclosed by US. Patents No. 2,799,030 and No. 3,006,005 thatallows heel top lifts and the like to be trimmed with unique facility,and more particularly to an improved work supporting arrangement forsuch apparatus that allows the trimming to be done, whenever desired, inbetter relation to heel blocks having flared shanks.

Briefly described, the improved work supporting arrangement ischaracterized by the provision of an auxiliary plate element disposedfor selective superposition at the normal work supporting surface topresent an alternative surface on which the work is supported at a tiltfor trimming angularly or with a flare, rather than squarely as isnormally the case. In addition, provision is made for selectivelyvarying the disposition of a work guiding member at the trimming meansin relation to the work supporting surface being used.

These and other features of the present invention are described indetail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a device embodying the trimmingapparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevation of a device such as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the guard and gage elementoperating arrangement;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view illustrating one operation of thetrimming apparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a related enlarged detail view showing an other operation ofthe trimming apparatus.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a housing, indicated generallyby the numeral 10, has sides 12, a back member 14 and is covered by awork supporting plate member 16 which has a substantially square opening20 located therein. Attached to back member 14 is a bracket 22 whichextends to a point beneath opening 20 and serves as a support for afixed blade element 24 which is located in the opening 20 and is flushwith the outer face of front plate 16 so as to form therewith a normalwork supporting surface 18. Bracket 22 also extends through the opening20 and includes a journal 26 through which the smaller portion 28 of apivot shaft 30 extends to support a movable cutter arm 32 so that thepivot point of the cutter arm 32 normally lies within the plane of a toplift supported by normal work supporting surface 18; an enlarged portion34 of pivot shaft 30 abuts a spacing collar 35 disposed about thesmaller portion 28 as shown in FIG. 2. The cutter arm 32 carries aremovable cutting knife 36 which is positioned relative to a notchededge portion 38 in fixed blade 24 for cutting action therewith when thecutter arm 32 is pivoted.

The cutter arm 32 includes a stub portion 40 which is linked with aconnecting arm 42 having a bearing sleevg 44 interposed therebetween andwhich, in turn, is qonnected to an eccentric stub 46 extending from anend portion of a drive shaft (not shown). A motor 52 carried by supportbracket 54 attached to top wall 14 is connected to the drive shaft bydrive belt 56 to cause the cutter arm 32 and cutting knife 36 to movepivotally with respect to fixed blade 24 for cutting action therewith asdescribed in further detail in US. Patent No. 3,006,005.

The previously-mentioned pivot shaft 30 is bored at 58 to receive ashaft 60 which extends beyond the ends thereof and has support blocks62, 64 connected at the two ends thereof so as to be movable withrespect to the cutter arm 32 and pivoted coaxially therewith. Each ofthe support blocks 62, 64 has an angled slot 66 which receives the endof a guide element 68 made of a strip of moderately flexible materialand fixed in place by bearing screws 70 to locate the guide element 68in shrouding disposition with respect to the cutting knife 36 so asproperly to position work for trimming by the cutting action of thecutting knife 36 at the fixed blade 24. The right-hand support block 62includes a lower flat surface 72 which abuts against a camming element74 in the form of a polyhedron having a plurality of sides 76 each ofwhich has a different spacing from the center of rotation thereof. Anintegral adjusting shaft 78 is journaled in side wall 12 and bracket 22,and includes a collar 80 to position the sides 76 of polyhedron 74 belowthe fiat surface 72 of support block 62 whereby when the adjusting shaft78 is turned selectively by a handle 82, the support blocks 62 and 64and shaft 60 will be caused to pivot in the bore 58 of pivot shaft 30 tomove the guide element 68 to a series of preselected positionsdetermined by the particular side 76 which is abutting the flat surface72; the handle 82 includes an indicator scale 8-4 having sides 86 equalin number and parallel to the sides 76 of polyhedron 74 and havingnumerals located on at least some of sides 76 to indicate visually theparticular preselected position of the guide element 68. A tensionspring 88 is connected between the left-hand support block 64 andbracket 22 to insure a positive abutment of flat surface 72 and sides 76of polyhedron 74.

An auxiliary plate element 90 composed of plane portions 91 and 92joined in angular relation to one another at 93 is carried by theforward edge 94 of work supporting plate member 16 at a hingedconnection 95 located in spaced parallel relation to juncture 93 whichpermits it to hang clear of plate member 16 when not in use asillustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1, and which can be pivoted forselective superposition concavely facing the work supporting surface 18to provide an alternate work supporting surface 96 which is relatedangularly to the cutting action of the cutting knife 36 as illustratedby the full lines in FIGS. 1 and 5.

With this arrangement of elements, the operation of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 illustrates the trimmingoperation when the top lift T to be trimmed is attached to a ladies shoeS having a relatively straight heel H where the alternate support plate90 is in its normal position clear of plate member 16 as shown by thedotted lines in FIG. 1. The handle 82 is turned to move the guideelement 68 to the proper one of its preselected positions as shown bythe indicating scale 84 so that when the straight heel H is pressedagainst the guide element 68 and the top lift T is laid flat against thenormal work supporting surface 18, the pivotal movement of cutter arm 32will establish cutting action be tween the cutter knife 36 and fixedblade 24 to trim the top lift T along a line 98 which is substantiallysquare with relation to the normal work supporting surface 18 andsubstantially parallel to the adjacent edge of the straight heel H.Although the cut along line 98 actually will be slightly arcuate becauseof the pivotal movement of the cutter arm 32, the location of the cutterarm pivot shaft 30 within the plane of the top lift T and the fact thatthe cutter arm 32 is relatively long combine to result in a out which issubstantially perpendicular to normal supporting surface 18 and theabutting top lift T. The preselected position of the guide element 68for the operation is generally one of its lower positions (e.g., 2)although the particular trimming operation may dictate a higher setting.Also, it is to be understood that in other trimming operations, forexample trimming the sole of a mans shoe, the setting is adjusted so asto position the giude element 68 slightly higher than the thickness ofthe sole so that the welt of the shoe may be pressed thereagainst andthe sole to be trimmed will pass beneath the lower edge thereof in amanner similar to that of the top lift T shown in FIG. 4, and the solewill be cut substantially flush with the welt of the shoe (not shown).

The related operation shown in FIG. is performed when the top lift T tobe trimmed is attached to a contoured heel H of a ladys shoe S. Thealternate support element 92 is moved for selective superpositionadjacent the fixed blade 24 and cutter arm 32, and the top lift T liesflush therewith so as to assume an angular disposition with respect tothe normal supporting surface 18 and the cutting action of cutting knife36. A tilt angle in the order of 18 degrees between the alternate worksupporting surface 96 and plate member supporting surface 18 willprovide optimum results for this operation. Because the tilting effectof the alternate support element 92 causes the lower portion of the heelH and the top lift T to move away from the cutter knife 36 as indicatedby dotted line 102, the guide element 68- is adjusted selectively fromits FIG. 4 position as shown in the dotted lines in FIG. 5 to a highersetting (e.g., 4) to vary the resulting disposition thereof in relationto normal work supporting surface 18 and alternate work supportingsurface 96 and to permit the top lift T to move close enough to thecutting action to insure a trim substantially flush with heel H exceptfor the slight margin edge E (FIGS. 4 and 5) which will be removed by afinishing operation. Because of the tilted disposition of the top liftT, the trimming cut will be made along a line 100 which is substantiallya continuation of the lower rear surface portion of the contoured heelto form, when finished, a continuous surface with the contoured heel Hrather than an abrupt departure therefrom as would be the case if asquare cut were made along the dotted line 98.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes ofillustration only and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for trimming heel top lifts and the like comprising awork supporting plate member having an opening formed therein at which afixed blade member is mounted to present a cutting edge flush with thesupporting surface of said plate member and a cutting knife is pivotallydisposed in relation to said fixed blade member for cutting action atthe flush edge thereof in substantially square relation to said platemember supporting surface, the improvement which comprises an auxiliaryplate element carried adjacent said work supporting plate member bymeans allowing selective superposition therewith to provide analternative work supporting surface having a different angularrelationship than said plate member supporting surface with the cuttingaction of said cutting knife.

2. In apparatus for trimming heel top lifts and the like, theimprovement defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that saidauxiliary plate element provides an alternative work supporting surfacethat is angularly related to said cutting action in the order of 18degrees from the substantially square relation provided by said platemember supporting surface.

3. In apparatus for trimming heel top lifts and the like, theimprovement defined in claim 2 and further characterized in that saidauxiliary plate element is carried by said work supporting plate memberat a hinged connection allowing said selective superposition, and inthat said auxiliary plate element is formed with a face thereof facingsaid work supporting plate member concavely thereby to present saidalternative work supporting surface at its opposite face.

4. In apparatus for trimming heel top lifts and the like, theimprovement defined in claim 3 and further charac terized in that thehinged connection of said auxiliary plate element is located in relationto an edge of said work supporting plate member for allowing saidauxiliary plate member to hang clear of said work supporting platemember when not superpositioned.

5. In apparatus for trimming heel top lifts and the like, theimprovement defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that theconcave formation of said auxiliary plate member is defined by planeportions thereof having a juncture extending in spaced parallel relationto the axis of said hinged connection.

6. In apparatus for trimming heel top lifts and the like, theimprovement defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that a guidemember is provided for shrouding said cutting knife and positioning workin relation thereto for trimming, in that said guide member is carriedby means pivotally mounted coaxially with said cutting knife, and inthat said carrying means is pivotally positioned by selectively operablemeans for varying the resulting disposition of said guide member inrelation to said plate member and alternative work supporting surfaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,719 1/1919Banks 143--132.3 3,006,005 10/ 1961 Wright 12-85 FOREIGN PATENTS 238,324 7/ 1945 Switzerland.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

P. D. LAWSON, Examiner.

1. IN APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING HEEL TOP LIFTS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AWORK SUPPORTING PLATE MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING FROMED THEREIN AT WHICH AFIXED BLADE MEMBER IS MOUNTED TO PRESENT A CUTTING EDGE FLUSH WITH THESUPPORTING SURFACE OF SAID PLATE MEMBER AND A CUTTING KNIFE IS PIVOTALLYDISPOSED IN RALATION TO SAID FIXED BLADE MEMBER FOR CUTTING ACTION ATTHE FLUSH EDGE THEREOF IN SUBSTANTIALLY SQUARE RELATION TO SAID PLATEMEMBER SUPPORTING SURFACE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES AN AUXILIARYPLATE ELEMENT CARRIED ADJACENT SAID WORK SUPPORTING PLATE MEMBER BYMEANS ALLOWING SELECTIVE SUPERPOSITION THEREWITH TO PROVIDE ANALTERNATIVE WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING A DIFFERENT ANGULARRALATIONSHIP THAN SAID PLATE MEMBER SUPPORTING SURFACE WITH THE CUTTINGACTION OF SAID CUTTING KNIFE.